
BALCONY STORIES
THE BALCONY
A DRAMA OF THREE
"WHERE IS THAT IDIOT, THAT DOLT, THAT SLUGGARD, THAT SNAIL, WITH MY MAIL?"
LA GRANDE DEMOISELLE
"WALKING AWAY WITH A SHRUG OF THE SHOULDERS."
CHAMPIGNY.
MIMI'S MARRIAGE
"I WEPT, I WEPT, I WEPT"
THE MIRACLE CHAPEL
In a sun‑baked country where summer stretches across six moon‑lit months, evenings unfold on open balconies draped in loose white garments. Women gather there, their voices mingling with the night sky, sharing memories, gossip, and the quiet wisdom that only years of shared lives can produce. Children sleeping below listen to these soft conversations, their dreams catching the glow of moonlight and the faint perfume of the garden vines.
Among the balcony tales, a small drama repeats each month in a modest cottage owned by an aging general and his formidable wife. Their ritual begins with a brisk cup of coffee and a flurry of domestic orders, revealing a partnership where the wife orchestrates the household with a mix of practicality and subtle charm. This glimpse into their world hints at the larger tapestry of love, duty, and the small triumphs that keep a household moving through the languid, endless summer.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (198K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Bradley Norton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Release date
Mar 1, 2004
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1852–1932
A vivid chronicler of Louisiana life, this New Orleans writer turned local history, Creole culture, and everyday voices into fiction and nonfiction that still feel close to the street. Her work helped preserve a distinct regional world at a time of enormous change in the South.
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